Compare towns
Brooks vs Mount Chase vs Mars Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brooks has the most expensive homes ($197k median).
Mount Chase has the most people working from home (22.2%).
Mars Hill has the shortest commute (21 min average).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Brooks | Mount Chase | Mars Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,208 |
280Lowest |
1,398Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.3%Highest ME: +2.6% |
— | -8.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 45.9±6.6 about the ME average |
49.9±10.9Highest 11% above ME |
43.4±3Lowest 3% below ME |
| Mount Chase and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±4.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
22.1%±10.6 ME: 18.1% |
22.9%±5.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
| Mars Hill and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17%±3.1Lowest ME: 22.4% |
28.9%±6.3Highest ME: 22.4% |
24.5%±5.8 ME: 22.4% |
| Mount Chase and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5% ME: 36.2% |
32.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
26%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±3.5Highest ME: 5.8% |
2.9%±5.7Lowest ME: 5.8% |
4.8%±3.4 ME: 5.8% |
| Brooks and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $59,130±$10k 21% below ME |
$41,711±$7kLowest 44% below ME |
$65,273±$9kHighest 13% below ME |
| Mars Hill and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,700±$33kHighest 34% below ME |
$115,700±$15kLowest 61% below ME |
$163,600±$23k 45% below ME |
| Brooks and Mars Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,116±$112 about the ME average |
$1,281±$1kHighest 12% above ME |
$488±$96Lowest 57% below ME |
| Mount Chase and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,096Highest 31% below ME |
$1,548Lowest 49% below ME |
$1,843 39% below ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 18%±17.3Lowest ME: 48.4% |
28.6%±100 ME: 48.4% |
30.6%±7.1Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Mars Hill and Mount Chase are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.1% ME: 10.7% |
30.7%Highest ME: 10.7% |
9.6%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.6% ME: 74.3% |
90%Highest ME: 74.3% |
70.6%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME |
1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min about the ME average |
27 minHighest 9% above ME |
21 minLowest 14% below ME |
| Work from home | 14.5%±2.9 ME: 15.9% |
22.2%±12.8Highest ME: 15.9% |
6.9%±6.6Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Mount Chase and Brooks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | RSU 03/MSAD 03 | — | RSU 42/MSAD 42 |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Central Aroostook Jr-Sr H S |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 8.0 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.